عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Grundberg in Muscat to Urge Houthis to Back his Roadmap

PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi receives UN envoy Hans Grundberg in Riyadh. (Saba)
PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi receives UN envoy Hans Grundberg in Riyadh. (Saba)
TT
TT

Grundberg in Muscat to Urge Houthis to Back his Roadmap

PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi receives UN envoy Hans Grundberg in Riyadh. (Saba)
PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi receives UN envoy Hans Grundberg in Riyadh. (Saba)

Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Yemen Hans Grundberg held talks in Muscat on Tuesday with Omani officials and the spokesman of the Iran-backed Houthi militias to “operationalize” a roadmap for peace.

The roadmap would build on the commitments made by the Yemeni parties, through Saudi and Omani mediation, towards restoring peace in Yemen.

This was Grundberg’s first visit to Muscat since his announcement that he had received commitments from the Yemeni government and Houthis to form a roadmap for peace.

The envoy’s latest tour of the region also took him to Saudi Arabia where he met Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi in Riyadh.

Grundberg’s office said he met with Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam in Muscat “to discuss the UN roadmap which will operationalize the parties' commitments to a nationwide ceasefire, measures to improve living conditions in Yemen, and the resumption of an inclusive political process under UN auspices.”

He also met with senior Omani officials to discuss the continued regional support and coordination to the UN mediation.

Alimi’s meeting with Grundberg on Sunday tackled the latest developments in Yemen and the international pressure needed to push the Houthis to seriously approach peace efforts, end the suffering of the people and restore Yemen’s state institutions, reported Yemeni state media.

Alimi underscored the PLC and government’s support to the UN peace efforts, saying they were keen on offering all facilitations to the envoy so that he can fulfill his mission.

Grundberg had told Asharq Al-Awsat last week that he received from the Yemeni parties commitments over, among other things, “a nationwide ceasefire, opening roads in Taiz and elsewhere in Yemen, the payment of public sector salaries in Yemen, resuming the exportation of oil, further easing of restrictions on Sanaa airport and the Hodeidah port, the release of conflict related detainees, and commencing preparations for an inclusive, Yemeni-owned political process under UN auspices.”

“The parties have also committed to the departure of non-Yemeni forces, to reconstruction, and to engage in an inclusive political process to reach a comprehensive and lasting political solution,” he added.

“Discussions over the past months have resulted in the parties’ agreement on a set of commitments. I am grateful to the role both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman played to reach this point. The regional and international support over the past period aimed at bringing the parties closer to convening under UN auspices towards advancing an inclusive, sustainable political settlement,” stressed Grundberg.

Meanwhile, US envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking met al-Alimi and Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalek in Riyadh on Tuesday as part of Washington’s peace efforts in Yemen and to prevent the escalation of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Yemen: Coalition Steps Up Engagement with Aden’s Civil Society

Coalition to Restore Legitimacy oversees the normalization of life and improvement of services in Aden (Government Media) 
Coalition to Restore Legitimacy oversees the normalization of life and improvement of services in Aden (Government Media) 
TT
TT

Yemen: Coalition Steps Up Engagement with Aden’s Civil Society

Coalition to Restore Legitimacy oversees the normalization of life and improvement of services in Aden (Government Media) 
Coalition to Restore Legitimacy oversees the normalization of life and improvement of services in Aden (Government Media) 

Amid rapidly evolving developments on the ground led by the leadership of the Coalition Forces to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, efforts are continuing to normalize life in Aden, the country’s temporary capital, within a comprehensive vision aimed at restoring the city’s civil character and strengthening the role of the state and its service and security institutions.

Major General Falah Al-Shahrani, adviser to the Coalition Forces to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, has intensified meetings with representatives of civil sectors, activists, and media professionals, seeking to build broad partnerships with Aden’s community and expand participation in shaping and implementing a plan to restore the city’s civil identity after years of conflict.

Alongside the daily follow-up of plans to remove military camps from Aden and restructure and integrate security units, the adviser to the joint forces is giving particular priority to basic services—especially electricity and water—viewed as a practical gateway to restoring public trust and improving living standards.

Al-Shahrani has also been holding regular meetings with journalists, activists, and community figures, listening to their views on the challenges facing the city and the aspirations of its residents in this new phase. Many hope this stage will restore Aden’s economic, cultural, and social standing as one of the oldest cities that embodied values of coexistence and openness.

Participants in these meetings stressed the importance of granting Aden’s residents a greater and more meaningful role in decision-making, noting that they had suffered marginalization in previous periods and that any successful plan to restore the city’s civil character must begin with their inclusion as direct stakeholders.

They also emphasized the need to give top priority to the education sector, describing it as the cornerstone of reconstruction and sustainable development and the primary foundation for rebuilding civic awareness and entrenching a culture of the rule of law.

Participants further called for directing support toward sustainable projects, foremost among them the rehabilitation of buildings damaged by the Houthi invasion of the city in 2015, given the direct impact of such projects on residents’ lives in terms of housing, services, and economic activity.

They noted that discussions with Al-Shahrani were marked by seriousness and transparency, reflecting the Coalition leadership’s determination to listen directly to public concerns beyond rigid official frameworks.

They affirmed that they sensed a genuine commitment and a clear vision to rebuild what the war had destroyed in Aden and other liberated provinces, in parallel with efforts to consolidate security and stability.

 

 

 

 

Arab World

US Transfers ISIS Detainees from Syria to Iraq

 US soldiers at a military base north of Baghdad (Reuters – archive photo) 
 US soldiers at a military base north of Baghdad (Reuters – archive photo) 
TT
TT

US Transfers ISIS Detainees from Syria to Iraq

 US soldiers at a military base north of Baghdad (Reuters – archive photo) 
 US soldiers at a military base north of Baghdad (Reuters – archive photo) 

US Central Command has launched a new operation to transfer ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq, aiming to ensure that they remain in secure detention facilities and to reduce the risk of instability.

The operation began with the transfer of 150 ISIS militants from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure site in Iraq. US officials say the number of detainees moved from Syria to Iraqi-controlled prisons could eventually reach about 7,000.

Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, said: “We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS.

“Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security.”

According to Reuters, the move follows the rapid collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria, which raised doubts about the security of roughly a dozen prisons and detention camps previously guarded by the group.

US officials also discussed the situation with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, focusing on ongoing tensions in Syria, the need for government forces to respect ceasefire arrangements with the Syrian Democratic Forces, and support for the coordinated transfer of ISIS detainees to Iraq.

The US side outlined plans to relocate thousands of detainees in a controlled manner and urged all parties to avoid actions that could disrupt the process.

An Iraqi official told Asharq Al-Awsat that the transfer would help ease growing concerns about possible escapes. He added that holding the detainees in prisons supervised by the Iraqi government, in direct coordination with the United States, would significantly reduce the chances of ISIS rebuilding its capabilities.

Syrian media reported that security forces recently arrested 90 group members who had escaped from al-Shaddadi prison south of Hasakah. The Syrian army later announced it had taken control of the city, imposed a curfew, and launched operations to secure the area and capture fugitives.

Recent government advances, combined with what appears to be a reduction in US support for the SDF, mark the most significant shift in territorial control since the fall of Bashar al-Assad 13 months ago.

The United States said this week that the main objectives of its partnership with the SDF have largely been achieved after years of fighting ISIS.

 

 

 

Arab World

Tunisia Flood Death Toll Rises to Five

 A man removes water from his flooded home in La Goulette, near the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP 
 A man removes water from his flooded home in La Goulette, near the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP 
TT
TT

Tunisia Flood Death Toll Rises to Five

 A man removes water from his flooded home in La Goulette, near the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP 
 A man removes water from his flooded home in La Goulette, near the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP 

Authorities in Tunisia said flooding caused by three days of exceptional rainfall has killed five people, causing property damage in several provinces and leaving schools and businesses shut and transportation disrupted after parts of the country experienced their heaviest rainfall in years.

The death toll rose to five, Khalil Mechri, a civil defense spokesman told AFP. “Two people swept away by floodwaters, while a woman drowned in her home,” he said.

Mechri said since the flooding started, the emergency services pumped water from 466 inundated homes and have rescued 350 people trapped by floodwaters.

Tunisian media said four fishermen were missing on Wednesday. A fifth was rescued in Teboulba, south of Monastir, while authorities are searching for the remaining crew.

Mechri said while the bad weather was now less intense, “the level of alert remains high.”

President Kais Saied visited several affected areas on Tuesday, including Moknine and Teboulba, local media said.

Footage and videos widely circulated on social media showed significant flooding to homes and roads, with cars stranded in water, particularly in the capital, Tunis.

Authorities suspended classes on Wednesday in public and private schools and universities in 15 of the country's 24 governorates because of the weather. Transportation was also disrupted in several areas.

Abderazak Rahal, head of forecasting at the National Institute of Meteorology (INM), told AFP some Tunisian regions had not seen so much rain since 1950.

“We have recorded exceptional amounts of rainfall for the month of January,” Rahal said, with the regions of Monastir, Nabeul and greater Tunis the hardest hit.

The latest rainfall has proved record-breaking, but Tunisian streets often flood after heavy downpours, largely because of the state of the country's infrastructure.

Drainage and stormwater networks are often old and poorly maintained, particularly in rapidly expanding urban areas, with waste sometimes clogging the system.

Rapid urbanization of some areas has also led to less rainwater being absorbed into the ground, increasing runoff.

The dramatic deluge comes as Tunisia grapples with a seven-year drought, worsened by climate change and marked by a sharp decline in water reserves in dams nationwide.

In neighboring Algeria, several regions have also been hit by massive downpours and floods.

Algerian civil defense authorities said they had recovered the body of a man in his sixties who died in flooding in the northwestern province of Relizane.